I knew he would end up suing. But, I figured he would sue and claim that despite the concussions, that he was healthy enough to keep playing.

Quote:

Former Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best’s career ended prematurely due to head injuries.

His legal battle against the NFL has just begun.

Best has filed a lawsuit against the NFL, claiming the league knew about head injuries and did not do enough to protect him, according to USA TODAY Sports. The lawsuit also names helmet manufacturer Riddell as a defendant and seeks unspecified "economic and noneconomic" damages, while Best reportedly has worker's-compensation claim pending against the Lions.

"In Michigan, you plead in excess of $25,000, but we're not prepared to give a specific amount at this time," Bret Schnitzer, Best’s attorney, told USA TODAY Sports. "Unfortunately, with these types of injuries, as has been documented, the long-term effects of the injuries to the brain may not manifest themselves for a number of years. Jahvid, obviously, had some manifestation of concussion syndrome, which is well-documented in the media.

"But in terms of the full extent of the injury to the brain, as we can see from other players and from the science, that can't always be determined in a 25-year-old. It's just like mesothelioma or asbestos type of case ... it sometimes takes decades to see the full ramifications of the injury."

Best had a history of concussions prior to entering the NFL, and it will be interesting to see if his attorney can prove the league is negligent.

Despite a concussion history, Best was a first-round pick by Detroit in 2010. Best rushed for 555 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie, plus had 487 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He had 390 rushing yards and two touchdowns, plus 287 receiving yards and one touchdown, before sustaining a concussion in 2011. Best was never medically cleared to play football, and Detroit released him in 2013.

January 28th, 2014, 7:44 pm

WarEr4Christ

QB Coach - Brian Callahan

Joined: October 26th, 2005, 11:48 pmPosts: 3056Location: Elkhart, In.

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

I'm curious, was he forced to sign the letter of intent to go to college? Did he HAVE to keep playing football after the concussions? At what point does personal responsibility weigh into this? Aren't these the type of lawsuits that have contributed to outrageous insurance costs and medical costs?

Like the women who spilled hot coffee in her lap from a drive through window. It wasn't ICE'd coffee, it was HOT coffee. Again, at what point is personal RESPONSIBILITY weigh in on these type of cases?

Sorry you got hurt best, but I'm even more sorry that you are now jumping on a bandwagon to try and score your "piece of the pie" instead of using the education you got in college, and contribute to society. The fact that you kept coming back to the team and playing football, and even went out for the draft AFTER that horrendous hit in the bowl game, says that you KNEW what you were getting into, and probably signed the release forms.

_________________Acts 4:13, 1 Cor. 2:1-5, Rom. 12:1-2

January 29th, 2014, 4:46 pm

HechePipe

Pop Warner Allstar

Joined: September 23rd, 2013, 1:09 pmPosts: 146

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

WarEr4Christ wrote:

I'm curious, was he forced to sign the letter of intent to go to college? Did he HAVE to keep playing football after the concussions? At what point does personal responsibility weigh into this? Aren't these the type of lawsuits that have contributed to outrageous insurance costs and medical costs?

Like the women who spilled hot coffee in her lap from a drive through window. It wasn't ICE'd coffee, it was HOT coffee. Again, at what point is personal RESPONSIBILITY weigh in on these type of cases?

Sorry you got hurt best, but I'm even more sorry that you are now jumping on a bandwagon to try and score your "piece of the pie" instead of using the education you got in college, and contribute to society. The fact that you kept coming back to the team and playing football, and even went out for the draft AFTER that horrendous hit in the bowl game, says that you KNEW what you were getting into, and probably signed the release forms.

Ok, so first of all, here is a picture of the "little ol' coffee burn" from that person who was burned:I know everything that happens to everyone is purely only their own responsibility, but maybe that coffee was improperly labeled as "hot." Looks like the label should've said "Holy F@cking Sh!t, Nagasaki is inside this cup." Secondly, I love how you just assume he's doing nothing with his education or his life. Clearly you know Jahvid Best personally and can attest to his daily activities. Perhaps it was his responsibility to take himself out of the game, but each time, the doctors did clear him to play football. Does he not have an obligation to fulfill his football contract also? Of course, if he didn't, I'm sure you wouldn't be here arguing that he should be playing football and fulfilling his contract and his personal responsibilities to the organization. No, of course not. Sounds like no matter what he does or doesn't do, you're going to talk sh!t anyway.

January 30th, 2014, 10:50 pm

njroar

Team MVP

Joined: September 25th, 2007, 3:20 amPosts: 3265

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

WarE, the concussion lawsuit opened the door because between the time Best was drafted and then made an example of in order to make it look like they were taking action.

He's also using his degree and education and is now working at Cal where he went to college as an assistant on the team. So he's not freeloading. The older players got a settlement, and there now needs to be something for the newer players that are still playing or recently retired that weren't included in the other lawsuit. The league needs to setup more for rehab and prevention going forward and that doesn't happen from the old lawsuit.

January 31st, 2014, 12:27 am

WarEr4Christ

QB Coach - Brian Callahan

Joined: October 26th, 2005, 11:48 pmPosts: 3056Location: Elkhart, In.

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

Sorry Hechepipe,

You are making an assumption of your own! Maybe I was being facetious about his education, but more importantly I'm asking the question about personal responsibility, and even if you have all the evidence in the world how the person was burned by Nagasaki Coffee, COMMON SENSE says don't put it in your lap.

Jahvid Best bears responsibility in this, he continued to play the sport that jeopardized his health. I'm not saying that he shouldn't be compensated with NFL Healthcare, or something along those lines, but major $ doesn't seem appropriate.

But what do I know, I work building maintenance, and can't even spell the million dollar contracts these guys are making.

_________________Acts 4:13, 1 Cor. 2:1-5, Rom. 12:1-2

January 31st, 2014, 11:01 am

Blueskies

QB Coach - Brian Callahan

Joined: September 13th, 2007, 12:43 pmPosts: 3121

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

Let's put the McDonald's coffee myth to bed:

Quote:

Probably the most famous "frivolous lawsuit" example of all time. No doubt you've heard of the lady that sued McDonald's because she spilled some hot coffee in her lap while driving. What a moron! you might have thought. How stupid do you have to be to not know coffee is hot? Americans these days! Blaming everyone but themselves for their mistakes!

It turns out there's a lot more to the story. First of all, the hot coffee wasn't just uncomfortable and embarrassing, it gave her third degree burns over six percent of her body, which required ****ing skin grafts. You can see the burns yourself if you're not squeamish.

Secondly, coffee served at that temperature (180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit) will give a person third-degree burns in two to seven seconds, while home-coffee brewers normally serve coffee at much lower temperatures (130 two 140 degrees) which won't immediately burn you. Yes, Starbucks and other joints do serve coffee at the hotter temperatures -- because some customers prefer it -- but then again, they get sued for it also. Thirdly, she attempted to settle for $20,000 at one point, and McDonald's refused, which is when she started getting cranky.

You may have heard that she got millions of dollars, when the final award was $640,000. Then from that you take out the medical bills (hint: skin grafts aren't cheap).

But she has to take some responsibility, right? She may not have been driving, but she was trying to open the lid in her lap so she could add cream and sugar. That's kind of careless, isn't it? Why couldn't the jury see that?

Well, they did. That's why the compensatory damages portion ($200,000) was reduced by 20 percent, because they ruled it was 20 percent her fault.

Even the Stella Awards website -- a site dedicated to rooting out silly lawsuits and named after Stella Liebeck herself as the symbol of what's wrong with our justice system -- admits all these facts are true.

So if you still want to argue about it, you have to admit this case isn't the joke most people play it off as in email forwards and know-it-all water cooler lectures.

Anyway, lawsuits and large payouts are a key part of a free market system. They keep corporations honest and proactive.

January 31st, 2014, 3:12 pm

HechePipe

Pop Warner Allstar

Joined: September 23rd, 2013, 1:09 pmPosts: 146

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

I don't see how Jahvid Best bears hardly any responsibility at all for this.

Look at it this way: You apply for a job with an awesome salary, but there are known health risks for this job in which you're applying. You're ok with that and so is the company that's hiring you. With me so far? Good.You're anxious to prove your skills at this new job and earn that huge salary and possibly further income down the road. You find out that you have what it takes to do the job and all is well.Then you get injured on the job. You're disappointed and you want to go out and continue your work and earn even more money. You check with the doctor hired by your company to see if it's safe for you to return to work and he says yes. You return to work, get injured again. You still want the job and the doctors insist that you're fine. You go back to work, get injured again. Now not sure if it's really safe to go back to work, you ask the doctor again. He says you're fine to return to work. Injured again, it's clear that you're not fine to return to work, even though the doctors say it's ok. Not able to continue working, you leave the job.

Sounds kinda like what Jahvid Best did in the NFL to me. Still fail to see how it's his responsibility to walk away from a job he loves when the doctors said repeatedly that he was ok to return to football. Now he has a permanant injury from that job, of which doctors really do not know much about at this point. The NFL contracted him to play, he played, got permanently injured when doctors cleared him and perhaps they shouldn't have. And your argument is to leave the NFL alone and not pursue monetary because he should be out using his degree and changing lives with all the opportunities he received. Idk, man. He has a permanent brain injury that will probably really affect him in a decade or two. I think it's in his best interest and the NFLPA's interest to compensate him for perhaps not being able to remember his own name in 20 years. But whatever. It's totally his own fault and he should be out joining the peace corps or whatever.

January 31st, 2014, 5:02 pm

regularjoe12

Def. Coordinator – Teryl Austin

Joined: March 30th, 2006, 12:48 amPosts: 4212Location: Davison Mi

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

HechePipe wrote:

I don't see how Jahvid Best bears hardly any responsibility at all for this.

Look at it this way: You apply for a job with an awesome salary, but there are known health risks for this job in which you're applying. You're ok with that and so is the company that's hiring you. With me so far? Good.You're anxious to prove your skills at this new job and earn that huge salary and possibly further income down the road. You find out that you have what it takes to do the job and all is well.Then you get injured on the job. You're disappointed and you want to go out and continue your work and earn even more money. You check with the doctor hired by your company to see if it's safe for you to return to work and he says yes. You return to work, get injured again. You still want the job and the doctors insist that you're fine. You go back to work, get injured again. Now not sure if it's really safe to go back to work, you ask the doctor again. He says you're fine to return to work. Injured again, it's clear that you're not fine to return to work, even though the doctors say it's ok. Not able to continue working, you leave the job.

Sounds kinda like what Jahvid Best did in the NFL to me. Still fail to see how it's his responsibility to walk away from a job he loves when the doctors said repeatedly that he was ok to return to football. Now he has a permanant injury from that job, of which doctors really do not know much about at this point. The NFL contracted him to play, he played, got permanently injured when doctors cleared him and perhaps they shouldn't have. And your argument is to leave the NFL alone and not pursue monetary because he should be out using his degree and changing lives with all the opportunities he received. Idk, man. He has a permanent brain injury that will probably really affect him in a decade or two. I think it's in his best interest and the NFLPA's interest to compensate him for perhaps not being able to remember his own name in 20 years. But whatever. It's totally his own fault and he should be out joining the peace corps or whatever.

If you Join the Army, you dont get to sue if you get shot in combat.

Everyone knows football is a phyiscally demanding job, and i dont know if there is a single player who has played and not been hurt at one point or another. Best knew this going in...he also knew he had issues with concussions before he put on a pro jersey. the NFL should not abandon him and his medical needs, as you pointed out these injuries were casued on the job...but to sue for additional damages? Sorry, I dont think so. He is in the same boat as Mohamed Ali...Ali had mashed potatoes for brains in the end. He paid the price for choosing THAT profesion. Football is no different.

_________________2013 Lionbacker Fantasy Football Champion

January 31st, 2014, 5:24 pm

njroar

Team MVP

Joined: September 25th, 2007, 3:20 amPosts: 3265

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

The information for concussions has changed quickly over the last 2 years and it's still up in the air according to science. But the NFL's policy has completely reversed. You can blame Best, but when the doctors at the combine cleared him, team doctors cleared him, and everyone said he'll be just fine and then they do a complete 180 and say that he won't be fine, that's not his responsibility, it's the leagues and the doctors that work for the league.

The army analogy is bogus, because you get combat pay specific if you are put into a combat zone. Isn't that what Best is suing for? If the military had said, your salary is fine because bullets won't kill you, oops, yes they can, do you think soldiers would have sat silently?

The league changed it's tune on concussions. The lawsuit settled that they owe the players in insurance and pay for retired players. Now here is a player that wasn't retired and not included in the old lawsuit and he is going to need the same care and resources that will be given to those players. As does every player that retired during that time period and that is still playing now. That healthcare will cost way more than any salary these players made in their short careers if they have to pay out of pocket. The league acknowledged it's a problem, so now they are responsible to care for their current and past employees.

January 31st, 2014, 5:51 pm

jrd66

Mr. Irrelevant

Joined: February 10th, 2005, 6:52 pmPosts: 961Location: Linden, MI

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

It's pretty clear that most people have not looked into or been exposed to what happens when someone is injured while working. There are laws that govern this. These laws dictate what you can and cannot sue for. People who are injured in the military are compensated if this happens through death benefits or disability payments afterwards.

_________________OK. Schwartz is fired, the fans are happy, now what?

January 31st, 2014, 5:56 pm

HechePipe

Pop Warner Allstar

Joined: September 23rd, 2013, 1:09 pmPosts: 146

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

regularjoe12 wrote:

HechePipe wrote:

I don't see how Jahvid Best bears hardly any responsibility at all for this.

Look at it this way: You apply for a job with an awesome salary, but there are known health risks for this job in which you're applying. You're ok with that and so is the company that's hiring you. With me so far? Good.You're anxious to prove your skills at this new job and earn that huge salary and possibly further income down the road. You find out that you have what it takes to do the job and all is well.Then you get injured on the job. You're disappointed and you want to go out and continue your work and earn even more money. You check with the doctor hired by your company to see if it's safe for you to return to work and he says yes. You return to work, get injured again. You still want the job and the doctors insist that you're fine. You go back to work, get injured again. Now not sure if it's really safe to go back to work, you ask the doctor again. He says you're fine to return to work. Injured again, it's clear that you're not fine to return to work, even though the doctors say it's ok. Not able to continue working, you leave the job.

Sounds kinda like what Jahvid Best did in the NFL to me. Still fail to see how it's his responsibility to walk away from a job he loves when the doctors said repeatedly that he was ok to return to football. Now he has a permanant injury from that job, of which doctors really do not know much about at this point. The NFL contracted him to play, he played, got permanently injured when doctors cleared him and perhaps they shouldn't have. And your argument is to leave the NFL alone and not pursue monetary because he should be out using his degree and changing lives with all the opportunities he received. Idk, man. He has a permanent brain injury that will probably really affect him in a decade or two. I think it's in his best interest and the NFLPA's interest to compensate him for perhaps not being able to remember his own name in 20 years. But whatever. It's totally his own fault and he should be out joining the peace corps or whatever.

If you Join the Army, you dont get to sue if you get shot in combat.

Everyone knows football is a phyiscally demanding job, and i dont know if there is a single player who has played and not been hurt at one point or another. Best knew this going in...he also knew he had issues with concussions before he put on a pro jersey. the NFL should not abandon him and his medical needs, as you pointed out these injuries were casued on the job...but to sue for additional damages? Sorry, I dont think so. He is in the same boat as Mohamed Ali...Ali had mashed potatoes for brains in the end. He paid the price for choosing THAT profesion. Football is no different.

4 year vet here, 2 deployments, 1st Infantry Division. You don't get to sue the army because the army isn't making millions on your performance. The army isn't a corporation and isn't exactly "profiting" on your performance like the Detroit Lions and the NFL are for Best. Playing professional football for millions of dollars is nothing like the army and should never be compared even remotely. Also, your Ali comparison isn't valid because it's pretty much a known fact that choosing a 20 year boxing career with give you "mashed potato brains" as you put it. Football is just now, in the past 5 years realizing that these concussions are similar and not every player even experiences it. But whatever, man. You win. I don't understand the logic behind it and how you'd be so against a player who may have serious brain injuries suing a multi-billion dollar corporation for peanuts. Doesn't affect you either way, but you trash talk the player. Whatever, I'm over it.

January 31st, 2014, 6:04 pm

Pablo

RIP Killer

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 9:21 amPosts: 10024Location: Dallas

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

With his concussions starting pre-NFL, isn't the NCAA somewhat responsible? I didn't see them listed in the lawsuit (I understand Riddell made their helmets).

Now given that 2 of his 5 concussions occurred in college, they would be 40% responsible? Actually, given the cumulative effect, it is probably closer to 50%.

Oh wait, he is back on Cal's payroll isn't he...

I wonder what the NFL puts in contracts to try to avoid these types of issues???

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10408Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

I've lost a ton of respect for Jahvid Best. I have little to no respect for the former players who have sued.

Everyone knows the dangers involved with playing football. Same as everyone knows the dangers of smoking cigarettes. To state that you had no idea is a pure unadulterated lie. Best knew from his college days the dangers involved. Most players know well before that.

Best got paid a boatload of cash for very little output on the field and he should have taken better care of his money. Just like all the others, this is a cash grab from greedy players who feel that the game somehow owes them a living well beyond their playing days.

I hope he gets hit by a truck.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

February 4th, 2014, 4:27 pm

Killwill25

Rookie Player of the Year

Joined: March 5th, 2009, 8:42 pmPosts: 2422Location: Brooklyn, NY

Re: Jahvid Best suing NFL and Riddell

m2karateman wrote:

I've lost a ton of respect for Jahvid Best. I have little to no respect for the former players who have sued.

Everyone knows the dangers involved with playing football. Same as everyone knows the dangers of smoking cigarettes. To state that you had no idea is a pure unadulterated lie. Best knew from his college days the dangers involved. Most players know well before that.

Best got paid a boatload of cash for very little output on the field and he should have taken better care of his money. Just like all the others, this is a cash grab from greedy players who feel that the game somehow owes them a living well beyond their playing days. dI hope he gets hit by a truck.

LOL @ you caring that much. You hope he dies because he is suing a helmet manufacturer, something that has nothing to do you?